Eggbert's Travels

Tuesday 13th March

SHE SAID:

With Geoff in tow today we first headed for the Kragga Kamma Game Reserve. We haven't yet seen Rhinos and they have some there. We were very lucky & got to see 2 adult White/Wide-lipped Rhino plus a baby quite close up. We also saw some different antelopes, Bontebok & Duiker, plus Zebra, Warthogs, Waterbuck, Buffalo, Springbok, Giraffes and Impala.

Then we headed north to the Daniell Cheetah Project. We went across country, passing close by to some townships. It was the first time Geoff has seen the poverty, and rubbish close up; he seemed quite shocked by it.

The Cheetah Project is a long term breeding programme to improve the genes of the sadly depleted cheetah gene pool. Because of the declining numbers the interbreeding has made them weak and for the survival of species new genes have to be introduced. So this project as been going for over 18 years, but has yet to release any cheetah back into the wild. There is a hope it will happen within the next 5 years. 

There was one female cheetah that has been totally hand reared and we were able to meet her in person, stroke her; she purred and licked us in return...wow, amazing.

Bontebok

Poss. Bushbuck

Springbok

Female Ostrich 

Male Ostriches

Adult & baby white or Wide-lipped Rhino 

One of many townships through out South Africa -
some now have brick built houses...

But many are still corrugated iron & whatever else was available at the time

Interesting road signs

Daneill Cheetah Project 

Two orphaned male lions were brought here
as cubs when their mother was shot

These Spotted Hyena are also rescue animals

Cheetah cub

Licking & purring for both of us

HE SAID:

Seeing the rhinos today completed our checklist of "The Big Five": elephants, buffalo, leopard, lion, and rhino. We had already seen the "Ugly Five": baboons, wildebeest, warthog, maribou stork, and hyena.

The cheetah experience was a thrill. Having one of these big cats so close, purring, and licking you is just amazing. It was all left up to the cheetah whether she would be friendly and approach us for a pat, or be grumpy and best left alone. We were lucky.

Passing the township on our way to the cheetahs was a surprise. It is a large shanty town of tin shacks, but with power lines and communal toilets. The vicinity was the most litter-strewn place I can ever remember seeing. There was crap everywhere for miles around visible from the car. I guess the residents have bigger worries.